A shared European experience brought together through music
The final concert of the MOTIVE – Merging Original Traditions Into New Voices of Europe project marked the culmination of several months of international cooperation among young musicians from Poland, Italy and Lithuania. Held on 6 September 2025 at the National Archaeological Park of Capo Colonna in Crotone, the event combined reflection on the project’s journey with a powerful artistic celebration of Europe’s cultural diversity.
The unique historical setting overlooking the Ionian Sea provided a symbolic backdrop for the core idea of MOTIVE: building a dialogue between tradition and contemporary creation, and between local identities and a shared European perspective.
The final conference – reflecting on the project’s journey
The evening began with the final conference of the MOTIVE project, offering an opportunity to reflect on the collaborative process that had brought together artists, cultural organisations and local communities from across Europe. The conference was opened by Angela Russo, who welcomed participants and guests, setting the tone for an evening of shared reflection and recognition.
A key moment of the conference was the presentation of awards to local music teachers, acknowledging their essential contribution to the educational and creative development of the young artists involved in the project. This was followed by speeches from project partners, who highlighted the outcomes of MOTIVE and discussed future perspectives for continued cooperation.
Speakers included representatives of partner organisations as well as Angela Maria De Renzo, Councillor of the Municipality of Crotone, who emphasised the project’s positive impact on the local community and its role in strengthening cultural exchange at the European level. The conference concluded with an introduction to the concert programme by Antonello Fiamma, the artists’ coach, preparing the audience for the performances to come.
The concert as a space for cultural dialogue
As the sun set, the event transitioned into the final concert of the MOTIVE Project, which served as an artistic synthesis of the project’s core values. Young musicians from different European countries took to the stage, presenting original compositions developed through international collaboration.
The concert programme featured a diverse range of musical expressions, including:
“Pazzì” by Rossella Quero and Carmine Cipriani,
“Azuolelis” by Liepa Kazlauskaitė with an international ensemble,
“Miraz” by Klara Wysocka and Lucy Brown,,
“Just for a walk” by Andrea Fedele and collaborators,
“Carpe diem” by Natalia Jankiewicz and Łukasz Szczepanowski with an international choir,
“European”, the final piece performed collectively by all participating artists.
Each performance brought together musicians from different cultural backgrounds, demonstrating how cross-border collaboration can lead to new artistic languages that are both deeply personal and universally resonant.
Audience engagement and international reach
The final concert attracted over 200 attendees on site, including local artists, music educators and members of the general public. In addition, the online streaming of the event reached more than 300 viewers, extending its impact well beyond the physical location of the concert.
The audience response was particularly significant given that the works had never been performed before and featured emerging artists. The predominantly Italian audience embraced unfamiliar soundscapes, discovering Lithuanian ethereal tones alongside Polish experimental rhythms. The strong engagement also sparked interest among local artists, several of whom expressed a desire to participate in similar initiatives in the future.
A lasting outcome of the MOTIVE project
The final concert in Crotone was not only the conclusion of the MOTIVE project, but also a tangible demonstration of its European added value. It highlighted music as a powerful tool for intercultural dialogue, artistic education and community building, capable of transcending borders and connecting people through shared creative experiences.
The event inspired reflections on future collaborations, reinforced by the Memorandum of Understanding signed during the project forum. In this sense, the MOTIVE Final Concert stands as both a celebration of what was achieved and a starting point for new European artistic initiatives.
